Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of former MP Denis Éthier. Mr. Éthier passed away last Thursday at the young age of 90.

He served as a member of Parliament in the Trudeau government from 1972 to 1984. His brother Viateur was known for bringing post offices to the community, and Denis was known for bringing federal wharves to our shoreline communities. Denis always fought for agriculture both as an MP and later as chair of the Canadian Livestock Feed Board.

He devoted his life to the service of his constituents with justice and humility. Denis, you gave me your red scarf when I won my nomination and I will be sure to pass it on to my successor one day.

I offer my sincere condolences to his sons, Carl and Marc, and his entire family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to recognize the importance of small businesses.

Recently Mayor Gerry Taft and I met with a group of dedicated small business owners in Invermere, British Columbia, in my riding of Kootenay—Columbia.

These hard-working people came together to provide input on how federal, provincial, and municipal governments can better support small businesses in Invermere and elsewhere. Their feedback, and the feedback from other communities where I have hosted business forums, is invaluable.

According to Statistics Canada, there were 1.17 million businesses as of December 2015; 98% of these employed fewer than 100 employees, while over half employed fewer than five people. Seventy-eight per cent of the new jobs in Canada are created by small businesses. They are the lifeblood of their communities and they are key to Canada's economic stability and its future.

Today I would like to celebrate the hard work, ingenuity, and commitment of small businesses in Invermere, throughout my riding, and across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Vern Nielsen of Kelowna, British Columbia, who passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends, on February 11, 2017.

As a business person and philanthropist, Vern was a kind and generous man. A long-time Rotarian, Vern was the sitting district governor of District 5060 and kept up his volunteer work with the club even while undergoing his cancer treatments.

I am particularly proud to honour Vern in this place, as Vern stood as the Liberal candidate for Kelowna—Lake Country in both the 2004 and 2006 Canadian general elections. He was a mentor to me and contributed in many ways to my success in 2015.

I ask all members in this place to join with me in recognizing Vern Nielsen of Kelowna, British Columbia. Both his community and his country are better places because of his many contributions.

Mr. Speaker, increasingly I hear from people who feel that political correctness is out of control. In Canada, the right to be offended is still enshrined in law. However, free speech is more and more under attack.

Yesterday we learned that a certain Mr. Grabher came face to face with the “I'm offended” buzz saw. For 25 years, Mr. Grabher has had a licence plate with his last name on it. However, now it seems, on the basis of a single complaint, the plate was cancelled.

I am asking all Canadians to consider this case. It has to do with free speech. I implore Canadians that if they hear or read something that is offensive, either ignore it or engage with it. Do not use authority structures to shut it down. Had the person who made the complaint simply asked Mr. Grabher, the individual would have discovered that the word on his plate was his last name.

I ask all Canadians to consider the right to be offended. It is fundamental to the principle of free speech. Let us nip this out-of-control political correctness in the bud.

Mr. Speaker, we have not lived today until we have done something for someone who can never repay us.

I was elected by the great people of Saint John—Rothesay to represent, advocate, and bring important priorities forward. We are a city of great business success, but also a city with many in great need. We lead the country in child poverty. We have 1,300 families on a waiting list for affordable housing, and many who are homeless and need a helping hand.

We have started a sandwich program for the hungry at our constituency office, and the response has been uplifting. We have families, seniors, and many others who are hungry drop by on a daily basis. My office is their office too.

One of the greatest things we can all do as MPs is to give hope and a hand up to people who need it the most. I am proud to have started this initiative, and I encourage all my colleagues to do the same across the country.

Mr. Speaker, today I am sharing news of an exciting new educational opportunity in my riding of Sudbury, a new school of architecture in Canada, the first in a generation: the McEwen School of Architecture of Laurentian University.

The School of Architecture features prominently against downtown Sudbury's skyline, and I had the honour of officially opening it in January. This building makes Sudbury one of the most innovative cities in Canada.

I am proud to say that there are already as many first nations students enrolled in the McEwen School of Architecture as there are first nations architects across Canada. What will this new generation of architects from Sudbury do? It will change the world one sketch at a time.

Congratulations to the president of Laurentian University, Dominic Giroux, and his team for their vision.

A special thanks to Rob and Cheryl McEwen for supporting education, students, and Sudbury.

Mr. Speaker, the public consultations on a new federal framework for Lyme disease have just closed.

For too long, the hundreds and possibly thousands of Canadians with Lyme disease have been largely ignored by our health care system. We have weak surveillance programs, and outdated and incomplete statistics. Our medical professionals do not have the critical training they need and therefore many cases go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Infected Canadians are not getting the supports they need and are suffering both in terms of their health and financially.

There are high hopes that a new framework will improve the situation, but many think this is just more talk. If we are to make progress against this disease, we need to do more than just write a report; we need to take action.

Mr. Speaker, today is World Tuberculosis Day, and I would like to highlight how our government is working with provinces, territories, and key stakeholders to reduce the rates of TB in Canada, particularly in at-risk communities.

Through budget 2017, our government is providing over $50 million to increase community-based infectious diseases programming, including TB, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.

To address the high rates of TB in first nations on reserve, Health Canada is partnering with first nation organizations, provinces, and communities to ensure access to culturally appropriate and timely diagnosis.

We will continue to work with our national and international partners in the fight against TB, and to contribute toward Canada's efforts to completely eliminate TB as a public health problem.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend I will be in my riding enjoying a sweet treat at the annual sugar shack spring event in Verdun, the seventh Cabane Panache et Bois Rond.

For four days, 80,000 hungry visitors will be on Wellington Street, know to the people of Verdun as “the Well”, sampling the maple treats and celebrating our Quebec producers and local merchants.

The history of the maple syrup season precedes the arrival of the settlers in Quebec. The first nations discovered maple sap, a sort of sugar water that flowed from these trees. Centuries later, the sugaring tradition in Verdun is celebrated by the largest urban sugar shack in Montreal and perhaps the world.

Mr. Speaker, last week I attended the annual presentation of APEGA, which is the organization in Alberta that represents engineers, geologists, and geophysicists.

What I learned about the unemployment situation in this category was even more dire than I had realized. In Calgary, 20% of engineers today are unemployed, 30% of geophysicists are not working, and as many as 50% of geologists do not have jobs.

What did the federal budget do to help these highly trained professionals who work in the energy sector? The budget slashed the drilling incentive program, which encourages companies to hire these professionals and go out and drill new wells.

Combined with the carbon tax and the NDP policies in Alberta, we will have continued high unemployment. Remember that Alberta was the driver of the Canadian economy for the past decade. It is obvious the Liberals want to continue to drive the Alberta economy into the toilet, and the four Liberal members of the Liberal Party—

Mr. Speaker, March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit Elmina Castle in Ghana. Seeing where my ancestors were kidnapped, tortured, and enslaved was devastating. Those who did not survive had their bodies thrown into the Atlantic Ocean and their humanity was never acknowledged. It broke me.

However, the experience has also empowered and strengthened me to ensure that the words “never again” have meaning, and that I live my life honouring the 305,000 slaves from Elmina and the millions of Africans who were brutalized during the transatlantic slave trade.

I encourage everyone in this chamber and around the country to educate themselves on this terrible time in our history and its ongoing impacts on the black community. I also encourage us all to commit to ensuring that these horrific injustices are never repeated and that modern-day slavery ends forever.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise in the House today to acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the Association des personnes handicapées de Drummond, or APHD.

This organization plays a crucial role in the life of people with disabilities by helping with their social integration in many ways. Its efforts to obtain support from local stakeholders are guided by the desire to protect the rights of people with disabilities and to help them meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations.

We can be proud of the members of APHD, including executive director Daniel Mailhot, who work so hard to create an inclusive and supportive society that fosters equal opportunity for all.

In order to help APHD members in particular, once again this year I am organizing an information session on the disability tax credit to be held on April 25, at 7 p.m., at the Centre communautaire Saint-Pierre in Drummondville.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance may have worn his new shoes this week, but budget 2017 still has the same old Liberal stench.

Budget 2017 confirms that the Liberals are the worst fiscal managers that Canada has ever known. The deficit will reach $28.5 billion this year and, by the end of their term, the Liberals will have racked up over $100 billion in debt that will have to be paid back by our children. This was supposed to boost the economy, so where are the jobs? Where are the construction projects that were supposed to get people back to work? Even with our very low expectations, the results are lacklustre. All of Quebec is disappointed.

The government knows very well that access to the Internet and cellular networks is a major problem in our regions and that the measures announced in 2016 were insufficient, but there is nothing about that in budget 2017.

The government's inaction sparked a crisis in the softwood lumber industry, but there is nothing about that in budget 2017.

There is nothing in budget 2017 for farmers.

The Prime Minister promised to do everything in his power to expedite the rail bypass project in Lac-Mégantic, but there is nothing about it in budget 2017. All we are getting in budget 2017 are tax hikes.

The minister can put new shoes on over his old socks, but that won't cover the stench.

Mr. Speaker, on March 26, Bangladeshi Canadians across Canada will mark the 46th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh. Canada was one of the first countries to diplomatically recognize Bangladesh in 1972, and we have enjoyed a bond of friendship that has only grown stronger over the years.

Our two countries are not only linked by a strong trade relationship, but Canada is home to over 100,000 people of Bangladeshi heritage, many of whom, I am proud to say, live in my riding Scarborough Southwest.

From community work to business initiatives and more, the contributions of Bangladeshi Canadians play a significant role in making our communities great places to live, work, and raise a family.

I invite all my colleagues in the House to join me in offering our best wishes to the Bangladeshi community on this important milestone and look forward to many celebrations to come.

Mr. Speaker, a troubling report in today's Globe and Mail says that during free trade talks currently under way, the Chinese government is asking Canada for unfettered access to all areas of the Canadian economy, including our telecom and natural resources sectors, and that the access needs to be granted to all Chinese companies, including ones owned by the state.

These reports are very disturbing. Can the Prime Minister tell us if these reports are accurate, and how his government is planning to respond to these alleged and very worrisome demands from Beijing?

Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member what John Baird said on February 27. He said that the direction in which the government is going in terms of our relationship with China is good news for western Canada. In this case, he is right. Already our efforts have resulted in market access for Canada's $2-billion canola industry. We have made 39 shipments totalling 850 million dollars' worth of canola.

The member opposite should be celebrating this success instead of trying to block access for Canadian farmers.

The report in the Globe and Mail is disturbing and the government needs to tell Canadians what its plan is. The report goes on to state that Beijing does not want Canada to use human rights or national security concerns as bargaining chips. Both of these should be at the top of Canada's list when having any discussions with China.

Again I ask the Prime Minister, is the government aware of these conditions? What is the government's response to this very troubling report and to these demands?

Mr. Speaker, Canada is a Pacific nation, and we want to expand our trading relationships with the Asia-Pacific area, including China.

As announced by the Prime Minister in September, we are in exploratory talks. This is essential to determining whether there is sufficient interest on the part of Canadians and whether this is to our benefit.

Public consultation will be wide, broad, and deep, and we will pursue a truly progressive trade agenda that puts the middle class at the centre of our thoughts.

They really have messed up this file drastically, but it is not too late to fix things. It is not too late for the Prime Minister to give his commitment that no changes will be made unless he has a consensus from all parties. It is not at all unreasonable, and we could all get back to working together.

Will the government commit that no changes will be made unless there is a consensus among all of us?

Kevin LamoureuxLiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for us to recognize that we have a Prime Minister who is committed to modernizing Canada's Parliament.

I have been a parliamentarian for more than 20 years. Many of those years, in fact, more than 20 of them, were in opposition. I understand the importance of modernization. This is actually a good thing for Canada. I would invite all members to be a part of that discussion.

I can confirm that the Prime Minister and his disdain for people who do not share his views are responsible for the terrible week we had here. Basically, what the leader said is that the Prime Minister wants to take on all of the responsibilities of every MP from all parties.

Kevin LamoureuxLiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to read the discussion paper, and that is not how I interpret it. What I see is a Prime Minister who is genuinely trying to bring our parliamentary system forward. I would really encourage all members of the House to be part of that discussion. We can do better inside the Parliament of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I understand the government's disappointment. The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons worked hard to produce a document on how to make her job and that of the Prime Minister easier. The opposition will have less time to criticize their boss; ministers' offices will no longer have to answer written questions from the opposition; and members of their own party will be easier to control.

When will the leader understand that Parliament is not a branch of the Liberal Party of Canada? Modernize does not mean muzzle and control.

Kevin LamoureuxLiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, modernization is and can be a very positive experience for the House of Commons. I would really encourage the hon. member, and in fact, all members of the House, to get engaged in this very important discussion. We can, in fact, improve the system.